From: Susan Hansen
Sent: Fri Mar 23 17:01:24 2018
To: Susan Hansen; YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
Cc: rdavis@oregonian.com; DECONCINI Nina; MINER Jason * GOV; raihana.ansary@oregon.gov
Subject: RE: FW: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Importance: Normal
Dear Tiffany,
You indicated you were going to answer the detailed questions below that Bear Creek Recovery sent you about the potential funding issues connected with Molalla's need to find tens of millions of dollars for a wastewater facility. I added the below question on March 12 about the leaking lagoons. We still have no answers from you. If you cannot answer the questions please indicate that so we can find the proper person in Oregon agencies to answer the questions.
Susan Hansen
Bear Creek Recovery
> -----Original Message-----
> From: foxglovefarm@inbox.com
> Sent: Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:02:23 -0800
> To: foxglovefarm@inbox.com, tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us
> Subject: RE: FW: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>
> Tiffany,
>
> In your email regarding Molalla's leaking lagoons, you imply the lagoons
> are in some way lined. Please explain how they are lined since Richwine
> notes this:
>
> "6.2.5 Facultative Lagoons
> The facultative lagoons are an excellent asset for wastewater storage and
> treatment.
> However, it is likely the lagoons may need to be lined which is a
> significant expense."
>
> If they are lined, why is Richwine noting a "significant expense" for
> lining? What is the current state of the supposed "lining" of the Molalla
> lagoons and if they are lined, why are they leaking 170,000+ gallons a
> day? What kind of lining is supposedly in place in those giant leaking
> lagoons?
>
> Susan Hansen
> Bear Creek Recovery
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: foxglovefarm@inbox.com
>> Sent: Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:48:09 -0800
>> To: tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us
>> Subject: RE: FW: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>
>> Tiffany,
>>
>> Please note that you have an outstanding Bear Creek Recovery PRR waiting
>> to be filled that includes the recent meeting regarding the long awaited
>> MAO. We are very interested in the progress or lack there of on an MAO.
>>
>> Before the funding questions, we are not clear about the lagoon issues.
>> DEQ wrote not one but TWO letters indicating the lagoons were leaking
>> enough to warrant test wells. Now you have backed off and made the
>> excuse
>> that it is not quite bad enough, even though the DEQ analysis of last
>> summer's lagoon leak test was said to be flawed but good enough to come
>> up with the very high leakage rate. It's pretty clear to those watching
>> this that DEQ has caved - why not require a CONCLUSIVE lagoon leak test,
>> then we would know exactly how much the lagoons are leaking?
>>
>> You had Raihana Ansary listed as a person who was supposed to attend
>> that
>> past meeting with Director Whitman and Molalla -she was clearly listed
>> on
>> that agenda as addressing funding issues and ended up not attending. It
>> was the meeting where Rep. Lewis attended and claimed to be able to help
>> find money at EPA. Ms. Ansary has NOT been responsive, nor has anyone in
>> her agency.
>>
>> What is the current progress, if any, toward finding the tens of
>> millions
>> of dollars needed to fix Molalla's waste water problems? What
>> agencies/funding sources are being contacted and considered to date? If
>> public money at low rates is not available, what kind of private
>> bonds/loans could Molalla get? What funding sources might be subject to
>> rejection by local Molalla voters - they are currently going to vote on
>> the $11/month road fee the City Council and manager tried to impose
>> without a vote? In other words, what kind of loans/bonds could be
>> successfully rejected by voters if they did not like the rates they
>> would
>> face?
>>
>> What kind of "credit worthyness" does a city have to show to be loaned
>> money from the revolving or other public fund? What kind of utility
>> rates
>> must be in place first - do they have to show rates high enough to pay
>> back a loan BEFORE the loan can be granted? What kind of debt currently
>> carried can be folded into new loans or bonds or would a city have to
>> continue to pay past loans (including the current outstanding revolving
>> fund I believe Molalla is paying back) along with any new loan?
>>
>> If a city is in a lawsuit regarding being in contempt of court how would
>> that affect any potential loans? Would it affect state revolving funds
>> being loaned? What about a court order - how would that affect the
>> ability to get a loan of any type, public or private money? In other
>> words, how does being entangled in any legal actions connected to
>> wastewater enforcement of failure to comply with legal agreements
>> regarding wastewater affect the ability to get a loan?
>>
>> Has Rep. Rick Lewis come up with any potential money sources for Molalla
>> from EPA or other sources? What kind of EPA money is available? The EPA
>> site I explored appeared to be very competitive regarding EPA money,
>> esp.
>> giving favor to plans with the highest cost to benefit ratio.
>>
>> I note that this year 2018 does NOT show Molalla is on the distressed
>> city list. And it is rapidly approaching 10,000 residents. What loan
>> category would the revolving funds or EPA put Molalla in, since I see
>> there are lower rates for distressed cities and lower rates for cities
>> under 10,000? By the time Molalla applies it will most likely be over
>> 10,000 people - who decides and how is it decided what the actual
>> population is?
>>
>> As to Lee Ann, she was asked general questions - it is pretty clear if
>> anything is going to improve here, a lot of money will be needed in the
>> near future. I understand in the past Molalla had to go for higher
>> interest private loan or loans. How long given the current state of the
>> "plans" and the supposed MAO will it be till Molalla could actually
>> apply
>> for loans/bonds and then how long would it take to actually have
>> decisions and money ready to go?
>>
>> Again, given the "regional solutions" staff it is pretty sad that Ms.
>> Ansary failed to pick up on my ask to have a conversation. Why do we
>> need
>> "regional solutions" if DEQ is going to be the loan agency? Why was she
>> invited to that meeting with Whitman if DEQ will be the source of funds?
>>
>> I am quite certain any answers will lead to more questions.
>>
>> Susan Hansen
>> Bear Creek Recovery
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us
>>> Sent: Mon, 12 Mar 2018 22:29:03 +0000
>>> To: foxglovefarm@inbox.com
>>> Subject: FW: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>>
>>> Hello Susan
>>> Sounds like you did have a conversation with Lee Ann Lawrence late last
>>> year. Please let me know what outstanding questions about the Clean
>>> Water State Revolving Fund you have and we will get them answered.
>>> Tiffany
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: LAWRENCE Lee Ann
>>> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2018 9:22 AM
>>> To: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany <YELTON-Bram.Tiffany@deq.state.or.us>
>>> Cc: YAP Anita <YAP.Anita@deq.state.or.us>
>>> Subject: RE: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>>
>>> Hi Tiffany,
>>>
>>> Susan or someone from Bear Creek Recovery called me about four months
>>> ago
>>> on November 16, 2017. I spoke with her on the phone for about 10
>>> minutes.
>>> She asked about the Intended Use Plan and what "we were doing about
>>> Molalla." She expressed concern about how their city council is
>>> handling
>>> their water quality issues. She also wanted to know if Molalla was
>>> considered a distressed community and would be eligible for principal
>>> forgiveness.
>>>
>>> I explained how the loan program worked, who can apply and how. I also
>>> explained that we are not an enforcement program. I also emailed her a
>>> link to the distressed community index.
>>>
>>> She asked if Molalla had ever had a loan with us and I confirmed that
>>> they had one loan with us in the past. She wanted more details and I
>>> told
>>> her she could fill out a public records request.
>>>
>>> She seemed content with our conversation when I got off the phone with
>>> her. I haven't heard anything else from her.
>>>
>>> Lee Ann Lawrence
>>> Program Coordinator
>>> Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>> Water Quality Operations Division
>>> Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
>>> 700 NE Multnomah Street, Suite #600
>>> Portland, OR 97232
>>> (503) 229-5622
>>> Lawrence.LeeAnn@deq.state.or.us
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
>>> Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2018 4:39 PM
>>> To: YAP Anita <YAP.Anita@deq.state.or.us>; LAWRENCE Lee Ann
>>> <LAWRENCE.LeeAnn@deq.state.or.us>
>>> Subject: FW: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>>
>>> Hi Anita and Lee Ann
>>> Have either of you received a call or email from Susan Hansen? She is
>>> a
>>> resident of the area near Molalla and represents a group called Bear
>>> Creek Recovery. Please call me to follow up.
>>> Thanks
>>> Tiffany
>>> X5219
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
>>> Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2018 4:37 PM
>>> To: 'Susan Hansen' <foxglovefarm@inbox.com>; YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
>>> <tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us>
>>> Cc: rdavis@oregonian.com; AUNAN Lauri * GOV <Lauri.AUNAN@state.or.us>;
>>> DECONCINI Nina <nina.deconcini@state.or.us>; Richard Whitman
>>> <richard.whitman@state.or.us>; jason.miner@oregon.gov;
>>> grandinetti.robert@epa.gov; 'lauri.aunan@oregon.gov'
>>> <lauri.aunan@oregon.gov>
>>> Subject: RE: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>>
>>> Susan,
>>> I manage Evan Haas, the Project Officer for the Clean Water State
>>> Revolving Fund for the NW region of DEQ (Clackamas, Multnomah,
>>> Washington, Columbia, Clatsop and Tillamook counties). If a public
>>> entity in the the NW region of our state is interested in a CWSRF loan,
>>> they work with Evan.
>>>
>>> I tried to track down who your communication about CWSRF landed with--I
>>> know it was not Evan. But if you have question about CWSRF, we can
>>> help
>>> with those. I am sorry if you left messages from someone else in the
>>> program and did not hear back. Please let us know what your questions
>>> are and we will follow up.
>>>
>>> Tiffany Yelton Bram
>>> WQ Source Control Manager
>>> Northwest Regional Office
>>> Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
>>> 700 NE Multnomah St., Suite #600
>>> Portland OR 97232
>>>
>>> Desk 503 229 5219
>>> Mobile 503 975 0046
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Susan Hansen <foxglovefarm@inbox.com>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2018 9:21 PM
>>> To: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany <tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us>
>>> Cc: rdavis@oregonian.com; AUNAN Lauri * GOV <Lauri.AUNAN@state.or.us>;
>>> DECONCINI Nina <nina.deconcini@state.or.us>; Richard Whitman
>>> <richard.whitman@state.or.us>; jason.miner@oregon.gov;
>>> grandinetti.robert@epa.gov
>>> Subject: RE: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>>
>>> Hi Tiffany,
>>>
>>> I have asked repeatedly - most recently to Ms. Aunan - that a
>>> representative from the State Revolving Fund contact me directly. I do
>>> not imagine you run that program so I wish to have any person who is
>>> working on or has been asked to work on Molalla's funding issues at the
>>> State Revolving Fund to contact me directly. I am shocked at how long
>>> this request has been ignored.
>>>
>>> We are still waiting for you to answer the DEQ related questions about
>>> the Molalla MAO and 170,000+ a day leaking lagoons as well as the most
>>> recent 3/2/2018 BCR public info request.
>>>
>>> Susan Hansen
>>> Bear Creek Recovery
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us
>>>> Sent: Thu, 8 Mar 2018 03:47:46 +0000
>>>> To: foxglovefarm@inbox.com
>>>> Subject: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>>>
>>>> Hello Susan
>>>> I heard indirectly that you contacted DEQ about the Clean Water State
>>>> Revolving Fund, did not get a response and then contacted the
>>>> Governor's Office. Can I be of help in answering your questions?
>>>> Tiffany
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
>>>
>>>